The City of Anna Maria Historical Park

The City of Anna Maria Historical Park (HM1DIA)

Location: Anna Maria, FL 34216 Manatee County
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Country: United States of America
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N 27° 31.767', W 82° 44.094'

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The Historical Society of Anna Maria Island Museum / Belle Haven Cottage / The City Jail

(side 1)
The Historical Society of Anna Maria Island Museum

Built in 1920 as an ice house on 402 Pine Avenue, the building was subsequently used as city hall, the police department, a firehouse and the Turtle House before the Society renovated it in 1992 to hold memorabilia from the turn of the century through the present.

Belle Haven Cottage

Built in 1920 over the water to the right of what today is the City Pier Restaurant. The cottage fell into Tampa Bay just a mere six years later due to diseased pilings. Purchased by Lyman Christy in 1926, it was barged around the North point to Palmetto Avenue on the gulf side of Anna Maria where it remained for over eighty years. The Society, along with the three island cities, raised the money to have it moved to the site in 2001 when the land sold to new owners. It is a fine example of the Florida of yesteryear surrounded by the lush indigenous flora of an early barrier island.
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The City Jail

Built in 1927 the need for a jail arose because there was a tavern-dance hall on the Gulf side of Pine Avenue. Those who frequented the hall would get drunk and cause a disturbance. Mitch Davis, the first mayor of Anna Maria, saw the need to "house" the offenders in a jail with bars but no windows. The mosquitos had quite a sobering effect on them. A fire in the 1940's burned out the wooden portion of the structure. The rest was left as a tourist attraction thanks to the insight of Harry Varley, founder of The IslanderNewspaper.
Details
HM NumberHM1DIA
Tags
Year Placed2007
Placed ByManatee County Historical Commission with the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, September 29th, 2014 at 12:37am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17R E 328669 N 3046278
Decimal Degrees27.52945000, -82.73490000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 27° 31.767', W 82° 44.094'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds27° 31' 46.02" N, 82° 44' 5.64" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)941
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 402 Pine Ave, Anna Maria FL 34216, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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